Mount Vernon Rec Center To Close For Multi-Year Renovation Project

BELLE HAVEN, VA — Get those workouts, swims and ice skating sessions in, because the Mount Vernon Rec Center will close for renovations at the end of 2022.

The Fairfax County Park Authority announced the rec center at 2017 Belle View Blvd., Alexandria, VA, will close at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31. The closure is due to a renovation and expansion project expected to take two years.

"The decision to close the entire facility for two years was a tough one; but it is the best option when it comes to delivering the most desirable outcome and limiting the impact of the closure on our customers," said Fairfax County Park Authority Director Jai Cole in a statement. "We have worked very hard to create a schedule that has enabled the facility to remain open for as long as possible prior to construction and to condense the closure period as much.

Once the facility closes on Dec. 31, park authority staff will start to remove equipment, furniture and materials for storage or reuse at other locations. Staff will also work to deconstruct the pool and ice rink. Exterior site preparations, security installation and construction staging are expected in the new year. A groundbreaking on the project will likely be in January.

Rec center members can use their membership at other Fairfax County rec centers. The closest locations are the George Washington Rec Center (8426 Old Mt. Vernon Road, Alexandria, VA) and Franconia Rec Center (6601 Telegraph Road, Franconia, VA). Starting Jan. 2, 2023, George Washington Rec Center will have expanded hours in response to the Mount Vernon Rec Center closure.

The Mount Vernon Rec Center, which dates back to 1974, is one of the park authority's oldest. The facility has a 25-meter heated indoor pool with poolside spa, indoor ice arena, fitness center, child play area, locker rooms with showers and sauna, and multipurpose rooms.

The renovation project will include renovation of the existing facility as well as a 75,000-square-foot addition with a two-story fitness center, multipurpose areas, pool and building upgrades and a second NHL-sized ice rink. The project is expected to be completed in 2025.

"While we understand that the temporary closing is challenging, we very much look forward to delivering a top-notch, state-of-the-art facility that will serve this community well into the future," said Cole.

A feasibility study on the renovation and expansion was completed in 2016, finding a need for a fitness addition and more multipurpose rooms and benefits of another NHL ice rink and leisure pool. Bonds for the renovations and expansion project were approved by Fairfax County voters in 2016 and 2020. The design phase for the project began in 2017.

The project web page is available here.